HEC UK Governance Club: Don't mix business with politics?
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The HEC UK Governance Club is delighted to invite you to meet with Georg Wernicke, Associate Professor at HEC Paris:
Don't mix business with politics?
The double-edged sword of CEO activism
Tuesday 14th November at 8:30am
HEC UK House 43 Parker Street WC2B 5PS
Activism by CEOs has been on the rise in recent years. Among other matters, CEOs have voiced their stances on climate change, tariffs, income inequality, immigration, racial and ethnic tolerance, abortion, gender equality, LGBT + rights, gun control, the procedural integrity of elections, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Recent evidence suggests that CEO activism is developing into a global movement, although the phenomenon is more clearly observed in the US than in Europe or Asia. What brings CEOs to make a public stand on such issues? What is the effect on corporate performance of companies becoming involved in these matters? And what is the effect of such actions on society in general? Is the practice of CEO activism beneficial from a corporate governance perspective, or should it be avoided at all cost?
To debate this controversial issue, the HEC UK Governance Club is delighted to invite you to meet with Georg Wernicke, Associate Professor at HEC Paris.
 | Georg WERNICKE Georg’s research focus is on topics pertaining to or at the intersection of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate governance, both broadly defined. He is particularly interested in the antecedents and consequences of firms’ CSR initiatives and governance practices. He studies these from different levels of analysis, including organizational elites (CEOs and members of the board of directors) and the firm. Georg’s research program can be categorized along two interconnected lines of inquiry. First, he is interested in the causes of heterogeneity in firms’ CSR performance and governance practices and how these relate to CEO characteristics and values and firm-level factors. Regarding CEOs, he is particularly fascinated by the role of CEO values and characteristics in explaining differences in CSR across organizations and, for example, understanding the causes of corporate misconduct. At the firm level, he is intrigued by questions such as how firms use CSR to manage risk. In his second line of inquiry, he focuses on the consequences of firms’ engagement in CSR on, for example, news media reporting about CEO compensation or employees’ evaluations of their CEO. He is also interested in the consequences of, for example, corporate misconduct for members of the corporate elite and how the consequences are affected, for instance, by the demographic characteristics of the elite or by their firms’ engagement in CSR. Read more. |
EVENT SUMMARY
- Date: Tuesday 14th November 2023
- Time: 8:30 to 9:30am
- Address: HEC UK House 43 Parker Street, London WC2B 5PS Map here
- Format: Interactive discussion and breakfast
- Tickets: Infinity Pass and fee-paying Alumni: £7 / Alumni and External: £12.
